The Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) called their work session to order at 9 a.m. on October 3, 2023. In attendance were Commissioners Marie A. Mornis, Susan Berumen, and Sandy Hollingsworth, as well as County Manager Ray Rears and County Attorney Brad Benning.

The work session was called to discuss some topics outside of the regular meeting including a Legislative Update by Sarah Baciak and a look at CCI (Colorado Counties, Inc.) Priorities.

Baciak reviewed new acts of legislation, many of which were enacted in 2022, to ensure that the County is compliant. For instance, firearms are not allowed in county buildings and proof of residence as a requirement to receive human services support is no longer required.

House Bill 21-1138, stating it is unlawful to operate an off-road vehicle on public roads, was reviewed.

Next, the board heard about House Bill 21-1267 concerning mill levy certification. Taxing authorities are required to hold a formal hearing to certify levies.

House Bill 21-064 makes retaliation against an elected official a felony offense.

The County is in compliance with the Senate Bill to Keep Colorado Wild. The act creates the Keep Colorado Wild pass (Wild Pass) for entry into state parks and other participating public lands. Commencing no earlier than January 1, 2023, but no later than January 1, 2024, each resident with a motor vehicle that is not a commercial vehicle is assessed a fee for the Wild Pass when registering the motor vehicle.

Baciak finished her presentation saying she will include in a spreadsheet all 96 bills that she reviewed. She will return during the work session on October 31. Rears said she must come on that date dressed like a pirate.

Berumen will be representing Gilpin County at a meeting with CCI on Friday, October 6, so the aim of the discussion this week is to crystallize the county’s needs and priorities.

The commissioners rated their priorities, like affordable housing, county authority in subdivisions, and prevention of human trafficking through federal background checks. The goal is to condense lobbying time during legislation.

The board discussed how they would vote on certain issues.

The board discussed the process by which notices of violation are enforced. The court process can be lengthy and CCI would like to form a quasi-judicial board to assess penalties.

The commissioners seem aligned on affordable housing and code enforcement. They also agreed upon which issues are not relevant to the County, like the treatment of closed landfills.

Mornis placed a low priority on citation for failure to eliminate noxious weeds, since many Gilpin County residents have large properties that would make doing so difficult. Hollingsworth also rated it low because the County offers a no-cost weed spray and support on the matter. The Board does not recommend fining residents for violations.

The commissioners closed the work session at 10:40 a.m.

The next regular meeting of the Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners will be on October 10 at 9 a.m. and is held in person at 203 Eureka Street in Central City and online via Zoom.